Pneumatic wheel.



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PATENTBD APR. 17', 1906.

nflllll PNEUMATIC WHEEL.

R. THEW & H. H. HARRIS.

APPLICATION HLBD DBG. 19, 1904.

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No. 818.060'. PATHNTHD APH. 17, 190e. H. THHW H H. H. HAHHIS.

PNEUMATIC WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED .DHG.19.1904.

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NORRIS FEYERS. INC.. LITHO., WASHINGTONV D. C

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K Ai Speeiicationof:Letztere Eatent.

Patented April 117i, 1906.

Application tiled December 19,1904. Serial No. 237,391.

.To HN 'feller/1f Z1 may 0071.007711:

Y.ie it known that'we. Riel-man Tinw and Hormis li. l'llinnis. citizens oi' the Vnited States, residing' at Lorain. in the eountjiv ol` liiorain and Si ate ol' Ohio. have invented a eertain new and useinl lmpriwenient in kneuina-tic llfheels, oi which the Following is a lull, clear. and exact descriptimi. reference heing had to the :.iec.\,nipanving drawings.

'ilhe ohjeet oi this invention is to provide t pneu .n'iatie wheel wherein the eushionin g hoseis relieved ol wearing attrition and driv- Ystrain h vheing placed within theA wheel. id tire heing provided on the tread. ire have so devised the wheel that it is in apihiearanee. niav he easilj.' taken apart lor repair, and mav he used. as a solid wheel in ea of emergency, should the pneuinatie hose break.

The invention includes the combination with a wheel, ot a pn eumatic hose-pipe placed around the axis ot rotation and supporting the weight, and means engaging the wheel outside ol" the pneumatic pipe to drive the wheel. ln such a 'wheel the driving is not aeooniplished througl'i the int-idium oi' the ruh- Y pipe. which is thus relieved ot a. great leal or strain.

rl`he invention. is more ullv hereinafter deserihed, and its, essential elniracteristies set ont in the claims.

in the drawings, Figure l a diametrie section through the wheel and driving-axle. Fi 2 is a dianietrie section at right angles to l. but, showing the tnieuinaticA pipe in edge elevation. Fig. f3 is an outside elevation of the wheel. Fig. Jr is a vertical sec- .tion across the axle on the inner side of the wheel, showing the driving.mechanism. Fig. is a. perspective View ot the emergentiv distance-piece... f

The same letters oi reference designate the saine part in eaeli ligure.

ln the drawings. A represents the axle oll an automobile or other vehicle. Mounted on this axle is a disk lj). having' a huh surroundthe axle. lYhen the wheel is a driving- `wheel, the axle is keved to ily/is huh and drives the wheel h v means oi' the disk l. as hereinafter explained.

Looselv `iournah-d on the hui) l is an annular ine1'nher(`. This :neinher is shown as holltnv l'or lightness ol' construction. its .sides are parallel and at righi angles to the axis, and its periphery is conceived. Seated :in this contati" pnriplier).A isa continuousanagainst the nular pneumatic hose-pipe D. Surrounding the l'iose-pipe and hearing upon its peripheiwT is a casing l.v from which extend the spokes ot' the wheel. A cover-plate E/ is secured to the casing nv holts F, extending through ears on the easing and cover-plate, as shown.

)it the outer end' ol the spokes @l is av rim el,

surrounding which is a solid tire G.

The casing ,l and cover-plate E tute an enlarged huh 'for the wheel. this huh is a llaring spa ee e', all owing the hosepipe to :spread laterall'v as it is llattened under weight. The easing E has an inwardlyextending llat portion e,

side olI t-he member and the cover-plate li' has a similar i'lat portion e4 lhving against the outer side of this member. Each ol these llat portions hounds circular central openings oi' c-onsiderahlv greater diameter than the hul) l). The casing and cover-plate. while thev makesnug connections with the member C are tree to slide vertieallv thereon. vdierefore as the weight ot the vehicle forces down the axle and the memher 'C the pneumatio pipe l.) llattens on its under portion. and the wheel moves relativelv to the axle, The pneumatic pipe thus makes asgood a cushion hetween the road and the axle ot' the vehicle as if it were on the tire ol the wheel. while it relieved from the wear oi' Contact with the road. MoreoverA the driving rotation ol the wheel is not com municated from the axle through the pneumaticA pipe, hut indept-mdentlv thereof, relieving the pipe ot continuous driving strain, which. is one ol" the greatest factors in the wearing out of a pneumatic tire.

The driving oi" the wheel is accomplished h v the disk l5 and the casing E through the intermediaov of a ring H between the disk and the as-ing. and having lugs z/ engaging the disk and other lugs li/ engaging the easing. The lugs /1 are placed diametrioallv opposite on the face olv the ring H toward the vehicle and take into radially-placed slots b `in the disk. The lugs 7L on the other tace oi the ring are diametrieallv placed and at right angles;r to the lugs and slide in slots e, proconstivided bv a pair ot' parallel guides on the casing lu.

)lv means oi the slots i and e at'right angles to each other the ring ll is allowed to automatically adjustI itself to the var ving up and down movements'ol' the axle during the driving.. Thus when the lug /i' directly ahorithe axle. as shown in l and 4.

viti 1in i which lies snugly.

depressionof the axle .results 'in these lugs Vslidin downward within' the slots el. 4On theot er hand, when the 4lugs h aredirectly.

- above or below the axle', as shown in Fig. 2, a'

downward movement ofthe axle causes these'. llugs to slide within their slots l.

1 mediate points the sliding takes place, partly in the slotsl b and partly in the slots e". T0, keep the mechanism closed during this slid-v ing,we provide on the 4casing E a flange e, having a'ilat .outer face adapted'to engage an inwardly-projecting'-lange b3 on the periphery ofthe disk B. 4This plate and -ilangeare `against'a shoulder on the axle,

always in en agement, as the disk and casing slide relative y to each other. f The wheel is held on-'the axle by anut J ,i screwed onto the end of the. axleand bearing against a collar K, which bears' aglainst the end of thehubb ofthe disk T e collar' and'hub areclamped' by the nut The member C fits-loosely enoughon thel hub b'so that itipmay revolve independently thereof, though lit is heldin place, by an overhanging flange 7c of the collar-K. It will. be seen from the above description that the-pneumatic pipe is relieved' of any,

' driving strain, nor does' itj rub over either the casing or the annular member C. It retains 'its position 'on the memberC, which adjusts itself about the hub b accordingly.

. the collar K, ther-ring being of such size as to; `ll the circular opening e7 of the oever-plate A ilange on the nut holdsfthisemerf: gency-ring' in place. g 'Thisemergency proviflf sionof our wheelis of great importance, forg even if the hose-pipe should breakthe.'automobilist is'nevertheless-able t et home with l no greater inconvenience'than t e jolting 'toasolid wheel..

The tire isinflatedjthrough asuitabletube's-f d', 'which Passs 'into the annllf'membr I of;

' as shown', and has a capped lend d occupyingg- 4. a-recesscinthe outer'sid'e of vthe'member Ci' member.

' We claim.;

l surround vthe axle, an annular vmember mounted on saidsleeve,'a cushion onsaid annularmember, a'wheel lhaving a hollow casadapted vto hold said ring in place. 5. In combination, in a wheel, an annular vmembe'r adapted to rotate "freely :about an;`

1. The cumbinationofa sleeve'adap'ted to l I siepe() v.in surrounding'said cushion, a collaronthe a 'ebe'aring'against said sleeve. and holdingsaid annular member in place, and means for' holdin the collar in place. y T 'e combination ofan annular member adapted to surround an axle, anielastic annu,- lar cushion surrounding said -member, -a lwheel having a hollow casing-seated on said cushion and a-pieceadapted to be placed' around the axle and enga e the casing to convert'thefwheel intoagsoli wheel.

` '3. Thecombinationbf'an axle', ail-'annular' member adapted 'to u surround lthe same, la cushion on the annulan'member, aw'lieel having a hollow casing `surroundingsaid cushion,

and havinga flange lying'a'longside of'said annular member,'and a distancepiece adapted to 'surround the axle' and engage the iiangeA of said'casing..4

4. The combinationof an axle, an'annular member 'surrounding the same, acushlon onthe annular member," a wheel having'a hl'lew easing surrounding'thecusliion, said Wheel -havg flange lylngv .alongside of the-annu,

lar member',- tne're being a central opening .throu h said hange, a nut screwing onto the.

end. o 7 the axle, 'and a ring'ada'pted )to sur- .round the axle and 'lie alongside of said annu lar member and prevent movement oflsaid hub toward or fromthe axle, said'nut being axle, said member having a cushion-seat' on its periphery, a cushion on said seat, a vcasing open at its centerand embracing said annularmember closely7 'so as .to be guided in its .movement thereby,sai d casu-g connected to a rim and 4flaredv to permit 'the 'lateral-expat)-4 'sion' 'o f, the cushion.

6. In combination,in a wheel, a hub adapt# .ed tol fit `over an 'axle and 'having integral thereyvith a driving-disk, an annular member mounted on and 'freely rotatable' about said lh11`b,"said annular member having a cushion 'mountedopits'periphery, a casin openat ltscente'r and embraclng'said annu ar memb`e'r, .retaining and positioning means adapted to 'it over the end of the axle' 'and bear against the annular' member, a rim cffzizd by the cas- VJthe''driving-disk and thecasin r1.0 ing yand a shifting drive connective between In testimony whereof` We, ereuntoaffix."

"our signatures inithe presence .of'two wit lnesses.

`RICHARD THEW. HOLLIS' H. HARRIS. Witnesses: v -ALBE'RT H. BATES,

B.-W. BRocKEr'r. 

